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Camp Cancellation Policies

Is your cancellation policy — or lack of one — helping or hurting your business? Here, learn what other camps do so you can decide what’s best for your camp.

By ActivityHero Staff

Good communication is a cornerstone of good business. By having a written camp cancellation policy, you can give parents peace of mind — particularly if they’re scheduling kids’ summer activities early and aren’t sure when their vacation might fall. If parents know, for instance, that they can apply their deposit toward a camp during a different week, they may be more likely to register now, rather than later … or with a competitor who offers that option. On the other hand, if you offer full refunds 100% of the time, parents may love you, but you might wind up with a lot of last-minute cancellations or no-shows.

If you don’t have a written policy, or if you haven’t reviewed your policy in a few years, it’s a good idea to look at the following examples from other camps to help you ensure that your current strategy best serves both you and your customers.

Camp cancellation policies have varying degrees of flexibility, ActivityHero recommends a cancellation policy that, at minimum, takes into account the time and effort required to process a refund and any registration fees.

Here are some examples of cancellation policies, starting with the most flexible.

At Steve and Kate’s Camp, parents buy only the number of day passes they need, and if they buy too many, they receive a full automatic refund for each unused day pass. Refunds are issued by check within 10 days of the last day of camp.

Any participant who is unable to attend this program for any reason will receive full credit for the purchased amount to be applied toward any other LBC program. Credits never expire and are transferrable.

About ActivityHero Team

The ActivityHero Team is based in California and includes staff members and bloggers who love to share what they know about parenting, keeping kids active, choosing just the right camps and classes, and running successful businesses for kids.